Ramblings and Reflections

Newsletter 6
January-February, 2004

Dear Friends,

Peace be within you as you birth it into all you do in this new year.  Love to you and prayers with you on Martin Luther King’s birthday, your birthdays, St. Valentine’s day, etc.  We remember with gratitude the massive demonstrations a year ago on Feb. 15^th and draw on the same courage for the renewal of the pledge for March 20^th this year.  I join you in spirit and fasting.

Judge Blackburn, Robert Brown, our prosecutor, FBI Agent Fauk, Probation Officers Beckmann and Merlo, the grand and trial juries who brought us into and through the Federal District Court process and into incarceration must have failed to anticipate the outpouring of support that comes to us daily.  And every letter bespeaks of a deeper commitment, an enthusiasm to take more steps to ban war forever, to stop the arms race in space, to risk, to counter the fear tactics, to envision and wage peace.  Mail has been handed to me in these weeks inside of postal buckets rather than using the regular ritual of handing mail piece by piece.  You are wonderful communicators!

Thank you for your gifts:

Books: Star Wars, US Tools of Space Supremacy by Wirbel,  Dude, Where’s My Country by Moore,  Small Wonder by Kingsolver,  Believe that I AM HERE by Gausseron,  Transforming Suffering ed. by Mitchell and Wiseman, OSB,  A Short History of Nearly Everything  by Bill Bryson,  Artists in Time of War by Zinn, Prayer for America by Kusinich,  A Door in the Hive by Levertov,   The Collected Poems of Wilfred Owen ed. by Lewis,  How to Survive Being Human by Gallagher, Not Counting Women and Children by McKenna,  Liberation Theology by Brown, The Blindfold’s Eyes by Ortiz, Living in Process  by Schaef, Passionate Presence by Ingram, Merton’s Advent and Christmas Reflections, Poetry Readings by Joseph Richey, several Agathy Christi books and bestsellers.

Frequently the names of the donor and subscribers have been removed from the packages so the gift arrives anonymously.  I thank you sincerely.

Subscriptions: Progressive, The Nation, National Catholic Reporter, Z Magazine YES, Readers Digest and two Environmental Journals.  We exchange these with other prisoners and receive in turn Mother Jones and The New York Times.  Am I spoiled or not?

Visitors Have Been Approved:

More than twenty visitor forms had been returned to my counselor when he told me he would not approve any, that he was turning them all over to the higher officials to make a decision.  After three months, the following visitors have been approved:  Tim and Kristin Boylan, Steve Kobasa and Anne Somsel, Chris Doucot, Brian Kavanaugh, Joe Morton, Roberta Farr, Linda and John Hutchins.  The selection process was a story in itself with scrutiny of all the records of my gentle, loving, nonviolent activist friends.  Momentarily my lawyer, Anabel Dwyer, was kept off the roster also.  That fidelity to the cause of peace is recorded in the heavens too!

The Holy Days in Prison

Women announced frequently during Ramadan, Hanukka, Solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa and Epiphany that it is simpler to celebrate “the reason for the season” in prison.  The days included doing some handmade decorations and special foods, but mainly there was time for fasting, prayer, caroling, and liturgy.  I liked the Interfaith evening of prayer best.  We became one community.  Many of us entered the new year in prayer individually and in small groups.  Previously two pregnant women from here entered the birthing center to have their babies and two more will leave soon.  In the midst of the good news there have also been some family tragedies and heartaches.  In this more powerless situation it is a wonder that the women can bear such heavy burdens.  It remains a privilege for the rest of us to hold them up, to walk, listen and share with them and to know that all will be well.  Father Dan’s prayer, though an expression for Advent and Christmas, seems to give us a message for living all year round.  (See below)

My Newsletters You may have guessed by now that my mailings have been done by Yvonne at our Motherhouse, Martha in the Upper Peninsula, MI, Mary from Minnesota and Mary Casper from Colorado.  Mary Casper has requested and offered to continue doing my monthly newsletters by postal mailings and preferably by e-mail.  If you wish to receive the newsletter by e-mail, send your e-mail address to: mcasper@mindspring.com  Put Ardeth’s Newsletter in the subject line, so Mary will not delete it as spam.

I remain deeply grateful for your loving support shown in many ways.  In the future I will respond better to your questions about prison life, about the challenges, spending a regular day, etc.

Ardeth Platte # 10857-039 FPC Danbury Rt. 37 Danbury, CT 06811